Chuck vs The Monkey Pants
by shoetingstar
Summary: This may be the only Chuck/Anna pairing on here!: Anna loves Morgan but he's not the most attentive boyfriend. While Chuck is being his nice, sweet self, triggering some not-so-loyal feelings within her. Can she resist the temptation? Would Chuck even go there? What's going on with him & Sarah anyway? Anna's curiosity is just too strong...And hijinks ensue.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This is my first Chuck story. It's one of my all-time favorite shows and I adore Zachary Levi. This is an Anna POV story. I really like Anna's character and felt she had such potential. Yes, I love Chuck and Sarah but I'm a chronic multi-shipper. I wondered what a Chuck and Anna pairing would look like. I'm very surprised no one else has thought about this pairing (?) The whole gang is there and there's some twists and turns and action and a healthy dose of naughtiness and stuff. So… Introducing Channa (Wutowski?)_

_The Timeline is just after the Season One Finale._

_Of course, any reviews/feedback/marriage proposals/spy-mission offers are greatly appreciated…_

**CHUCK VS. THE MONKEY PANTS**

**PART ONE**

How strange it is, to be having this conversation. This is a man I used to be in love with not too long ago. I normally didn't talk to Morgan outside of work-related situations. So he had been surprised when I called him last night. Even after what he had put me through, I could still see why I liked him in the first place. He had that man-boy quality that had set off my nurturing instincts. He was funny and adventurous. But the excitement ended almost as fast as it had started.

I asked him to meet me and, over an extra-large sausage and pepperoni with extra cheese, we talked.

"So I wanted to tell you that you were right about the whole Chuck thing. What happened between us shouldn't change how I treat him," I told him.

"So you agree with me? I stand by what I said," he gloated, shoving a piece of pepperoni into his mouth.

"I've been getting to know him more and I really like him. I mean how could I not with you two being so much alike? You know, tall—, uh, cool, dark and handsome," I say as sweetly as I can manage. I am trying to catch a fly with my honey.

"I knew it!" He practically shouts and points a finger at me. "You miss me don't you? It's so obvious."

Unbelievable. It takes a lot of my self-control to not shake him.

"Maybe. Whatever you think about me, I really cared about you."

His head drops and he looks like a lost kid. I suddenly feel a little sorry for him. "Anna, I actually regret what I did to be honest with you," he says.

"Well, you can make it up to me. If you really mean that."

"Of course, I mean it. I feel awful about the whole thing. So what do you want me to do?"

**A FEW MONTHS EARLIER**

"Anna."

"Casey."

"First of all, I have to say thank you again," Chuck said to me. "I mean, how cool was it when you...How did you know..."

"Just tell us everything you know," Casey demanded.

I was surrounded by the darkness of the home theater room with Casey and Chuck standing over me like two giants in good cop/bad cop mode. I felt like I had entered a Law and Order episode.

I deliberately spoke slowly, "Like I told Chuck, I was driving home when I realized that I didn't have my cellphone. I came back to the store because I figured it was in my locker. When I was walking toward the building I saw Chuck and that guy. When I realized that the guy was choking Chuck I hit the guy with my umbrella. That's pretty much it."

Casey looked at my petite frame and didn't seem totally convinced.

"Actually, I have seen him before," I continued. "I've been calling him Weird Hat Guy."

"Now we're getting somewhere," Casey said.

"Where did you see him?" Chuck asked.

"I noticed him because he wore the same kind of hat my ex used to wear. And anyone who shares the same fashion sense as my ex deserves to be put under suspicion. If I ever see him again he might get an umbrella to the knees and to his b—."

"Where did you see him?" Casey said impatiently.

"Here. He's been coming into the store every day this week."

"So you know what he looks like? Did you ever talk to him? Did you hear anything that might help us?" Casey asked.

"No – I wasn't going to talk to that freak. And tonight everything happened so fast..."

"Okay, I think we're done here. She's told us all that she knows," Chuck said to Casey.

"It would be good if we could wrap this up. I have a very romantic dinner with Morgan planned tonight," I said as I stood up. "Are you okay?" I asked Chuck.

"I'm good. I'm fine."

"One more thing," Casey said. "Tell me how you took him down, again."

I told him in detail how I hit the back of Weird Hat Guy's knees with my umbrella and then whacked him on the head, a few times, when he hit the ground.

"I'm small but very powerful," I concluded.

"Indeed. Pretty impressive," Casey said.

I took a bow. "You're just lucky it rained today," I told Chuck before the police came in and I had to repeat my story again.

Chuck's groggy voice answered the phone. I must have woken him up, even though it was only 9pm—on a Friday.

"Hey, Chuck. I'm sorry to wake you. I was actually looking for Morgan?"

"Morgan?" He said, roaring a big yawn into my ear. "Who is this?"

"It's Anna. Just how many girls are calling there for him?"

"Anna! No, no other girls...just you. Only you. His one and only. Sorry, I fell asleep after work..." I heard movement and what I swore was Morgan's voice whispering in the background.

"...He's not here."

"Really?"

"He's not here right now."

I was feeling anxious. The romantic night I had planned had failed. Morgan had cancelled on me, after already being two hours late. Usually I could count on seeing him at work, but I had taken a few days off. And he hadn't returned my calls. So I called the one person who would definitely know where to find him¬¬¬¬—Chuck.

"Look, when he comes back can you tell him to call me? Tell him if he doesn't, there will be consequences. Like no more Lucy Liu role-playing games. And I really mean it this time."

"Lucy Liu, huh? Are we talking Charlie's Angels or Payback?" Chuck babbled on in that rapid-fire way he does when he's nervous and/or hiding something from his best friend's girlfriend. "I'm partial to Ally McBeal Lucy Liu myself. Not that I've ever seen an episode of Ally McBeal...And I probably shouldn't be having this conversation with you."

"Well, anyway. Thanks. Could you just have Morgan call me, please?"

My efforts had been in vain since Morgan never called and never showed up for dinner. Why exactly was I chasing after this idiot? Love so truly sucks.

That night I had the weirdest dream. I walk into the store and customers start pointing at me and whispering. Then suddenly I'm aware that I'm just in my underwear. It was the classic "I showed up for work in my underwear" dream. Suddenly, I'm totally naked. I spot Lester and Jeff recording the whole thing and I'm on all the television screens around the store. I try to run for cover behind the Nerd Herd desk. But I have company. Chuck was there, sitting on the floor and wearing a cop uniform. He asks me: "What about Bob?" and before I could say anything he pulls me in and starts kissing me. A slow, sensual, scorching hot kiss that makes me forget the chaos around us. When I open my eyes we are sitting on a table in a grassy field with a white birthday cake between us a la the movie Sixteen Candles. I am now wearing a Dodgers uniform and Chuck is wearing a kilt, and he's shirtless. Then Morgan appears out of nowhere with a bullhorn and starts directing us like we're on a movie set. Chuck hands me a plate with a slice of the cake on it. Then we proceed to do things with that cake that I'm sure Samantha and Jake Ryan would have never thought of.

When I woke up I had to convince myself that I hadn't had a night of good sex with Chuck. While Morgan watched. It seemed that real. The hell? I didn't know what the dream was about. But it did make me want cake, oddly enough.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

DISCLAIMER: Regarding the NBC/Warner Bros. television show CHUCK. I DO NOT OWN CHUCK or its characters. This story was written for entertainment purposes only and with the creative affection of a fan. No profit was made from this work. No copyright infringement intended.

©2015 This is an original work of Shoetingstar (this author's pen name). All Rights Reserved. This story may not be reproduced in any manner, without the express permission of the author. Reblogging is welcome! Reposting is not! Contact me shoetingstarr211 .


	2. Chapter 2

**CHUCK VS. THE MONKEY PANTS**

**CHAPTER TWO**

Chuck was completely caught off guard when I showed up at his house, which is exactly what I wanted.

"So Chuck, where is he?"

"Where is who?"

"Come on," I said with determination. "Don't try to cover for him. I know he's here."

"Big Mike called Morgan into the Buy More early. He's probably there by now. You brought a cake?"

"It's our three-month anniversary," I said. I suddenly felt silly holding the cake box.

"Well, congrats to you crazy kids. I'm sure Morgan will devour it. And you're looking good," he said. I wore a short khaki-colored shirtdress with red wedge heels.

"Thanks," I replied, but my eyes began to burn. I couldn't believe I was about to cry. Chuck grabbed the stupid cake before it crashed to the floor. Then he began to gently pat my head.

"I'm not a dog," I said sarcastically, wiping my eyes.

"Sorry. Why don't you have a seat?" he asked.

"Is there another girl?"

"Huh?" Here?"

"No. With Morgan. Is he blowing me off for another girl?"

"I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'm sure you guys will work it out," he reassured me.

He looked like he had just gotten out of bed. His hair was extra scruffy. He was wearing a gray ARMY t-shirt and black sweatpants. I nearly giggled at his white socks and black slippers. There was a hint of dark stubble on his face.

It had been the first time I'd been alone with him. I guess Chuck was technically the other man in my life. If you are dating Morgan or Chuck, you had to take them both. They were a package deal.

He was still holding the cake in his hands. This is the moment when my mind chose to flashback to the dream I had the night before. The one where Chuck and I made sweet, dirty love. I started remembering what those hands did to me in my dream world. I was suddenly very aware of his leg against mine. I felt a strong urge to run my fingers through his hair.

Hello! Earth to Anna!

I made some space between us by reaching for a tissue from a box on the coffee table.

I turned back to him. "You're a good friend. Morgan told me about finding that ring and thinking that you were going to propose to Sarah. He was not happy, at all. How do you deal with that?"

His answer came quick. "Morgan is a good guy. He has to put up with my crap too, you know. Nobody's perfect."

"You know, actually..." I stopped, realizing that I was about to say more than I should. He was hanging on my every word, waiting for me to finish my sentence.

I stood up to go. "Hey. You can keep the cake. Give it to Ellie and Awesome for their engagement or whatever. I have to go. I'll see you later. Thanks for the pep talk." I talked so fast that I didn't know if he understood a word of what I was saying. I didn't wait around to find out.

I couldn't believe how hard I was breathing as I walked to my car. My phone rang as soon as I closed the door.

"Anna, it's Chuck. You want to go to lunch? My treat. Consider it an anniversary present."

"I didn't know you had my number."

"I saved it when you called me last night. And by the way, you interrupted an exceptional dream. Rachel Bilson was just chosen to play Wonder Woman and she... Actually, I shouldn't tell you the rest. It's not for ladies' ears."

What, lady was he talking about?

"Well I can take a guess. Rachel Bilson? That's so wrong. Wonder Woman was an Amazon. Hello? Linda Carter or the original comic books."

"We can talk about it at lunch," he suggested.

"Okay, where?"

Chuck has such a nice smile. That is what I would be thinking if I was a single, available woman. It is the kind of smile that could make a girl melt. And he had absolutely no idea. I thought of this as I sat across from him at lunch. It was just an innocent observation, of course.

"Don't be too hard on him," he said, pleading Morgan's case. "You are his first real girlfriend. And you come with thoughts, and feelings, and you can be hurt, and he could mess it up," he said in a way that made me think he was not just speaking for Morgan, but for himself, and men in general. "It's scary for guys. He just doesn't know how to deal."

"So how are you and Sarah?"

"She's fine. We're fine. Everything's fine."

"Let me get this right. You guys are doing fine," I said, amused. "Morgan's making it more complicated than it has to be. I like him. He likes me. It's simple. No biggie."

"Well…Like I said, I'm sure you two will work it out."

"You know him better than I do."

He just shrugged. "I did want to ask you..." he said. Then he took a big gulp of his ice tea. "...What were you going to say earlier?"

"Earlier? When?" I asked, stalling for time, caught off-guard that he even cared to bring it up.

"Why do I feel like you don't want to tell me something?" He looked determined to get it out of me.

And he was right. I didn't want to talk about anything that would lead to me revealing my secret.

My thoughts went back to that time, before Morgan and my problems with him. I hid the fact that I had, at one time, a huge crush on the tall, lanky fellow sitting across from me now. I liked him because he was smart, funny, cute and an actual good guy. I went out of my way to get him to notice me as more than just a nerd herder. But it didn't happen and then I started dating Morgan. And that was the end of that it.

It was in the past, in a galaxy far, far away. What could go wrong if I told Chuck?

"I'll tell you. I was going to say earlier that actually you are perfect to me." I had almost said perfect "for" me - oops.

"What?" He was obviously taken aback.

"I'm serious. You wouldn't ignore your girlfriend after she went to the trouble of planning a romantic dinner, would you? You are..." I mentally searched for the perfect word to describe him. "…Thoughtful."

My mouth kept moving, I was seemingly powerless to stop it.

"In fact, I had the biggest crush on you before I got with Morgan."

Oh shit! I couldn't believe I had actually said it. I always wondered what he would say if I told him. I held my breath, mostly to stop myself from making more incriminating comments and further humiliating myself.

"I had no idea." He looked completely dumbfounded.

…And that was his response. All I got from him.

One of the waiters dropped a tray of dishes near our table, and by the time the chaos was cleaned up, the moment had passed.

I walked into my apartment and found Morgan sitting on my couch.

"You!" I said, a little startled. "How did you get in here?"

"Karen said it would be okay," he said.

Karen was my good friend and almost roommate because she was at my house so much. I called her the sister I wish I had, who happened to be black. She normally made good decisions on my behalf, but this was not one of them.

Words just started tumbling out of my mouth. All my frustration from the past few days spilled out onto him. Morgan just stood there and took it.

"I deserve that," he said, looking deflated. "Anna, I know I've been a complete jerk. I've been in Morgan World and I realized that Morgan World is nothing without its queen, Anna. I'm really sorry." And he actually got on his knees, and pleaded. It's amazing what good groveling can accomplish.

So we worked things out. But something kept nagging at me. I played along in spite of it and things went fine for a while. Morgan was more attentive, in his own little way. But that nagging feeling would not leave me.

A few weeks after Morgan and I had made up, someone put a note in my work locker. It read:

_He is not as he seems._

_If you want to know the truth meet me in the breakroom tonight, 9pm._

I figured that the note was either some cute gesture from Morgan or I was about to be the victim of another Buy More practical joke. My curiosity was peaked enough that I showed up as instructed.

I found the breakroom door was locked when I tried to open it. I waited for a few minutes and then I was about to leave when I heard the thud against the door. Then I heard the voices and moving around. The sound was muffled but I could make out one important thing: I female voice saying, "Morgan" over and over. A rush of adrenaline went through me as I realized what was probably happening on the other side of the door.

I stood there trying to convince myself that I was jumping to a conclusion that would be proven false as soon as that door opened. I was waiting when it opened minutes later and out walked Morgan, nearly colliding with me, because he was in such a hurry.

"Anna! I thought you we were meeting later?" He was obviously not happy to see me.

"I thought I'd stop by and…"

I began and then rushed past him. Standing there, in all her bleached blonde glory, was Carli Barnes, one of the salespeople and resident Buy More skank, putting on her shirt. Proving that she was easy in multiple ways, I threatened her once and she spilled everything to me and got the hell out of there.

Morgan tried to talk his way out of it. "Anna, I'm sorry. It was a lapse in judgment. It's just that since we've been dating my stock with the ladies has tripled," Morgan stammered.

"Tripled? You didn't have any stock with the ladies."

"Exactly! That's my point. Now they're coming at me hard. She came on to me!"

I'm blank on anything that happens after that. I do vaguely remember Casey putting The Asshole (Morgan Grimes shall henceforth be known as "The Asshole" or any other variant of such) in a headlock after I told him that The Asshole hit me (A total lie, by the way. Like that would ever happen.) Even Casey cares more about me than Morg—excuse me—The Asshole.

If I hadn't been depressed enough, Valentine's Day reared its ugly, shallow, commercialized head to make it even worse. Karen wouldn't let me stay down. She's so selfish that way. I think my sad Anna routine had scared her and she wanted her kick-ass Anna back. She knew just what would cheer me up—karaoke. Drinking alcohol, having the license to sing cheesy songs by cheesy artists and pretending you are a rockstar – what's not to love about karaoke? Our regular spot was a place called Friar Tuck. It was far too small and smoky, but there was no better place. It had everything you needed: decent food, good drinks, the best music selection and a good crowd.

"That guy Ryan I told you about will meet us there," Karen told me. "He would be perfect for you! He's hot and a lot of fun. He's bringing a friend with him."

Karen had been trying to help me by hooking me up with Ryan. And he turned out to be exactly how Karen described him, dark haired, cute, fun, but totally into her. Before long they were on stage doing "No Air." And for a second, I thought he was going to hump her on stage.

Ryan brought his friend Vince with him. Vince was equally attractive. He reminded me of a younger Lenny Kravitz with his cocoa skin and tattoos on his ripped arms. After we both figured out that Ryan and Karen were hooking up, we started getting to know each other.

After my set of "Buttons," where I did my best Pussycat Dolls impression, I nearly tripped over some dude that was blocking me from getting off the stage. I'm about to tell this jerk to move when I realize that "the jerk" was Chuck!

"Anna. Oh My God – you were awesome!"

I was startled to see him there.

"What are you doing here?" I said, trying to control the big smile that was threatening to take over my face.

"I'm meeting Ellie, Awesome and...Morgan. I guess I'm the first one here."

My inner smile instantly disappeared. Any mention of that Morgan person instantly changed my mood for the worse.

"Aww...so it's a double date. How precious. I'm glad you two are still going strong."

I brought Chuck over to my table and introduced him to the gang.

"Join us!" Karen said. She not-so-secretly checked him out and gave me a wink. "So this is your man-uh-ger? You were right for once. He's cute. And tall. I was worried after that Morgan detour you were taking." Mental note: Remember to kill Karen later. In the meantime, I gave her a kick under the table.

"She's a drunk. Don't pay attention to anything she tells you," I told Chuck. He looked confused, and doubtful.

I turned to Karen. "Sooo, guess who will be joining Chuck here tonight—? Senor Asshole!"

"That's the ex. I told you about him." Karen explained to Ryan.

"I invited him here a few times and he never came," I said to Chuck.

"And this is her secret Anna world. It is a big deal for her to invite anyone," Karen added.

Chuck leaned over so I could hear him over the music. I got a tingle from his face briefly brushing against my neck.

"He missed out. You were really fantastic," he said.

I couldn't believe how good his comment made me feel.

"Thanks. All that practice with a hairbrush paid off," I said giggling into his ear.

I was about to ask him about Sarah (Where was she?) when Awesome, Ellie, and The Asshole, formerly known as Morgan, showed up and Chuck joined them at their own table.

Vince did an impressive version of "I Want You to Want Me" and we flirted shamelessly all night. And even with the distraction of my ex, Karen's mission was accomplished—I had a good time.

At least the parts I could remember were good.

I went from doing shots with Karen, Ryan and Vince to being in the passenger seat of a car with Chuck at the wheel.

"Hey – you're awake. Let me know if you have to throw up and I'll pull over," he said.

But I wasn't sure if he meant it because he was driving like a mad man. He kept looking in the rearview mirror and definitely did not look like someone willing to make a pit stop.

"What's going on?" I said. I didn't recognize my voice. God, it hurt to think, to talk.

"Karen asked me to take you home. You drank more than I've seen anyone drink, except maybe Jeff. Mr. Liver is going to be really mad at you one day," he said in his rapid fire way.

I heard a huge crash behind us. Or was it above us? At that point I couldn't figure anything out. A few turns later and we were at my house. The simple act of getting the key in the door was difficult for me before Chuck grabbed it from my hand. He propped me on my red living room couch and then made a call. I was trying to figure out what he was so frantic about. I could tell that he was talking to Sarah.

"She's okay. I've been staying close like you guys said," he said before his voice went too low for me to hear anymore.

"Everything okay?" I said after he hung up.

"Yeah. It will be," he said, obviously distracted.

Then he started buzzing around my kitchen and came back with a cup full of some green goop.

"Drink this. It's the best hangover remedy ever. It looks worse than it tastes."

I took a sip and it was ungodly in its foulness. "EWWW," was all I could manage to say.

"Well, some people think it's not that bad. You can thank Awesome for the recipe."

"Yeah – I'll be sure to do that."

I really was not feeling well. And everything suddenly looked like a reflection from a fun house mirror, all distorted.

"Nice place," Chuck said, looking around. I'm sure he expected some punk nerd hybrid instead of the colorful, yet comfortable style I had taken.

I got up and headed down the hall for my bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHUCK VS. THE MONKEY PANTS**

**CHAPTER THREE**

Sunlight was a cruel joke after a night of drinking. I fought to go back to sleep. Then I heard the sound of banging doors and pots in the kitchen.

"Karen's here and she's making breakfast," I thought. This was a very rare occasion. I knew that I better get in there before she changed her mind. I made a quick trip to the bathroom. I thought maybe I was still asleep when I walked into the kitchen and saw Chuck standing at my stove making scrambled eggs.

What was Chuck doing here?

Then it hit me—karaoke—Karen, Ryan, Vince, and Chuck driving me home. So he had stayed over from the night before? And he was cooking eggs in my kitchen. The Twilight Zone music started playing in my head.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Chuck said, full of perkiness, like everything was perfectly normal. He looked down right comfortable, actually. He put a cup of coffee in front of me.

"Thanks, Chuckles," I said, calling him the pet name I had for him. I took a sip. "Mmmm, hazelnut, extra cream...Perfect. So what happened last night?" I asked.

"You don't remember?"

I shook my head to say no. "I remember karaoke and you driving me home. That's about it. How did you know how to get here, by the way?"

"I've driven Morgan over here a couple of times. How's your head?"

"Not too bad."

"It worked then. Good. Remember the hangover remedy?"

"You could have drugged me, for all I know," I said, yawning.

"Let's hope that doesn't ever have to happen." He laughed a little too loudly.

He put down two plates of food and sat across from me at the breakfast bar. We were quiet for a few minutes. I wondered if it was my imagination or if he really was looking at me in an odd way? What did happen last night?

"Thanks for cooking. It's good. I didn't know you could cook."

"Ellie wanted me to know the basics. You know, eggs, mac and cheese, the occasional chicken dish... She has been preparing me for when I live on my own. With the engagement and all it may be sooner than later."

"You have nothing to worry about. You guys work well together. So whatever happens I'm sure everyone will be happy," I offered.

"You're probably right."

"Speaking of Ellie, she probably thinks I'm a lunatic after Thanksgiving. Another thing I'm choosing to blame on The Asshole."

"You saved my life. It's safe to say that you're off the hook with my sister. However, Morgan will be getting a restraining order against you after your, uh, passionate performance of "You Oughta Know". What is it about that song that seems to unite the female population?"

"And scare the male species. I sang that?" I said laughing.

"You thoroughly succeeded in scaring him."

"Ha! Really? Good for me. He should be scared."

I gave myself a little pat on the back.

"You really don't remember anything else about last night?" Chuck asked.

"Nope."

But later, more information started coming to me. The Asshole did a lame version of "Open Arms." Devon and Ellie did "I Got You Babe" and it wasn't as awful as it should have been. And Chuck? How could I forget his performance?

"Oh My God! I do remember your inspiring and life changing version of "Baby Got Back". I gave him a standing ovation at the breakfast bar. "I can appreciate a man who likes some junk in the trunk." I love making Chuck blush. But he recovered quickly this time.

"Thanks. And speaking of backs...After we got here you went to bed. I slept on the couch. And that's about it." He got up and put his plate in the sink. "Except for the me seeing you completely naked part."

I nearly spilled my coffee. "The who, saw what?!"

"You know, let's not even talk about it..."

"Chuck." I said firmly.

"I was only trying to help."

"Okay. I have no clue – please just fill in the blanks for me."

"Well, I turned my back for a minute and I find you lying in the hallway in your underwear," he explained.

At least someone saw the pink and red lace lingerie that I had worn in honor of Valentine's Day.

He continued, "So I get you into your room and under the covers, and I leave. Later I go in to check on you and you were...in the buff, and you kept talking about monkeys. Finally, I figured out that you wanted the monkey pants that were on the chair."

"Monkey pants? Oh, you mean these?" I said pointing to the red pajama bottoms that I was wearing that featured dancing monkeys. It was capped off with a black tank top. "Well, they are my favorite."

Chuck was way more bothered than I was.

Did I shave yesterday?

Yes, I did, I remembered. Thank God for small favors.

"Nothing happened." He assured me.

"Well, good," I should have been relieved but I felt strangely disappointed. I didn't know why at the time.

"I appreciate you being such a decent guy about everything. Thanks for taking care of me."

"Anytime," he said quickly. "Well, not that I expect that to happen on a regular basis," he stammered though he seemed relieved. I guess he didn't know how I would react.

"You know, I don't feel too good. I think I should go sleep it off. Thanks for breakfast." I went to plant a kiss on his cheek but misjudged and got him right on the lips instead. I was going to apologize but ended up just saying, "Thanks again."

Then I went to my room, got into bed, and tried to figure out why I felt so giddy.

The Buy More gang was seeing me off in classic style; with "Congratulations" signs, balloons and spiked punch.

The job offer had been a total surprise to me. I had applied months ago and just out of curiosity. The NBC (Nailed By A Chick) is a professional all-female gamer group that competes in video game tournaments around the US and in the UK. The goal is to prove that women could game just as well as guys. Unfortunately, they got a lot of flack from men and woman and were dismissed as just "booth babes" (models who were picked for their looks but could not actually play worth a damn).

My US group was kicking butt at various competitions. Our sister group in The UK was not doing as well. So they were putting together a team to travel there and help out.

It was perfect timing. I needed a change and being paid to travel and play video games sounded pretty damn good to me. Though I had not been looking forward to explaining it to my parents.

The previous few weeks had been interesting. I had not only managed to ignore Morg—Senor Asshole at work, but had also been avoiding Chuck, as nearly impossible as that was. But now there was nowhere to hide.

"So Anna, I get my chance with you when you come back, right?" Jeff had been saying.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" I said with a smile. "And no," I said quickly to Lester before he could repeat Jeff's question.

Then I see Chuck heading my way.

You care what he thinks of you.

No, I don't. I'm just a little confused.

No you're not. You know exactly what's going on. You're just in denial.

Okay, he's sweet and I appreciate what he did.

Maybe he's too sweet. He needs a little spice in his life.

Hello, he has a girlfriend. And having feelings for my ex-boyfriend's best friend would not be smart.

You mean the guy who cheated on you and treated you like crap? Yep, you owe him a lot.

"Oh just shut up," I said out loud.

"But I didn't say anything."

I snapped out of the mental war I was having with myself to find Chuck staring at me.

"Hey, are okay?" he asked, looking worried.

"I'm fine. I'm good."

"You don't seem like yourself lately."

I don't know if it had been his worried look or the tone of his voice or his puppy dog eyes, but I was ready to spill.

"Could I talk to you?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"Here's my problem, I'm still a little embarrassed about going all Victoria's Secret Model on you," I said.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

"Well, it's not the actual seeing me naked part I'm upset about at this point. I've been having these silly and irrational thoughts questioning why you didn't hit on me," I explained.

"What? Really?" He said, obviously flustered.

"Mmmhmm..."

"Well, there's the Morgan factor and let's not forget that you were totally out of it. I wouldn't take advantage of anyone in that state."

"I told you it was silly..." I said. "What if I had been Sarah?" I added quickly.

"If I had sex with you and Sarah I would want you to be awake and you know, conscious," he said, not realizing that he had probably just proposed a threesome (Or revealed a fantasy, perhaps? Hmmm...).

"If you had sex with Sarah?" I asked.

"You and Sarah are back together?" The Asshole asked Chuck, appearing out of nowhere.

"Back together?" I asked, looking from him to Chuck.

"We broke up. That's why the gang took me out for karaoke that night, to cheer me up."

"So what's up with you two here?" The Asshole asked.

"Nothing. We were just having a little small talk," Chuck said quickly and I nodded in agreement.

"Actually, I'm glad I have you two together. I have something important to say that concerns both of you," Mr. Asshole said and then turned to me. "Anna, just because you hate me doesn't mean that you have to take it out on my man Chuck here."

"What are you talking about Morgan?" I said calmly, in spite of my growing need to punch him in the face.

"Come on, I see everything," he told me waving two fingers in front of his eyes. "You could cut the tension here with a Ginsu."

"I think there's more grape soda by the punch bowl," I said, trying to get him to leave.

"You know what I like, don't cha? I will be back," he said, hurrying away.

I turned back to Chuck when The Asshole was safely out of earshot. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. You talked to Sarah while you were at my house.

"We're still friends" he said evenly. Then he looked like he was freaking out. "Did you hear what was said?"

"No. I just heard you say her name. I was too wasted to make out anything else. Not that I was trying to..." I added lamely, feeling a little guilty because I heard something that I couldn't remember at that point. The alcohol must have pickled my memory cells.

"So why did you break up?"

"It's...complicated," he said. I could tell that it was hard for him to talk about it. "So are we okay? Friends?" He asked. "I don't want any awkwardness because of what happened that night...or because of Morgan. And he apparently agrees with me."

We looked over to see Morgan raising a grape soda filled cup to us.

"He doesn't know, does he?" I said.

"Know what?"

"The fact that I hung out..." I shook my chest towards him. "...With you that night?"

"No, I didn't," he said, grabbing my shoulders gently to stop my little shimmy.

"Everything okay over here?" Casey said, apparently having just witnessed our little scene.

I turned to him. "You know what? I'm so rude. I still haven't thanked you for "rescuing" me from Morgan with that headlock. That was really sweet of you." I felt a little silly calling Casey "sweet," but I meant it. "And just for the record he actually didn't hit me. I just wanted to get back at him."

"It was my pleasure," he said with a smile (yeah – I made Mr. Serious smile). "And I figured that out pretty fast. From what I've seen I think you can handle yourself."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Chapter 4

**Yes, professional gaming teams do exist. Check out the all-girl team the Frag Dolls, for example.**

_**Anna takes a trip that takes her closer to following one of her passions and far away from Morgan's cheating. But what does it mean for her budding friendship with Chuck?**_

**CHUCK VS. THE MONKEY PANTS**

**Chapter 4**

Date: 13 April 2008

From: "Anna" linuxgirl

To: "Karen" KCDesigns

Subject: I left my heart and blah blah blah

San Fran definitely gets cold! Burrrrrrr. Thanks for the advice. No damn mini-skirts for me today. I'm so glad I brought warm clothes and my black boots. So Friday was mostly about meeting the other girls and the managers. I hit it off right away with this girl named Rogan. She calls herself a Briwi – a British kiwi. Her family is from New Zealand, where people are called Kiwis, but she grew up in England.

The local people took us to The Heights, this new club that opened. It was okay, not really my scene but if this is part of my "work," I'm game.

Vince emailed me about keeping in touch and me joining the band (haha). He's really sweet so I'm not counting him out yet.

Spoke with Chuck today. You know how he and Sarah just broke up? Well, I did the cheesiest thing before I left. I bought him a get-well card and a smiley face balloon. I wrote inside the card "hoping you'll be able to smile soon" or something massively embarrassing like that. He called and thanked me (again!) and wished me well on the trip. He seemed really blown away. It wasn't that big a deal. (Don't give me that look – it wasn't). Though I haven't been that lame since I dated the Asshole.

It looks like the awkwardness after Chuckgate (What I call the event in which Chuck saw me completely smashed and butt naked), is behind us. I think. And a girl can never have too many friends, right?

Let me know the update with you and tell Ryan I said "hello".

Later,

Anna

….

Date: 28 April 2008

From: "Anna" linuxgirl

To: "Karen" KCDesigns

Subject: Fantasy come true...

The London team knows how to throw a welcome. They had a huge party and that band Tokio Hotel performed. They are apparently huge over here. I really like the team here. I thought they would be all cold and stuck-up. The good news is that with the British accents, cheeky comments, colorful hair and clothes, I feel like I'm smack dab in the middle of my 13-year-old fantasy of being a Spice Girl. (You can't tell anyone about that or I'll lose my street cred).

So - I met a guy. But don't get too excited. He tapped me on the shoulder at the party and I turned and found myself looking up into the most beautiful pair of green eyes. And a cute face to match. He had this short light brown curly/wavy hair going. Picture Ryan Phillippe with a British accent but minus the adultery and herpes rumors. He tells me that he knows me from somewhere. And usually the British accent works like magic on me. But I couldn't get over that pitiful pick-up line. He picked the wrong girl since I just got into the country like a day ago! He insisted, I resisted and that was that. Like I said, don't get too excited.

I better get some sleep.

Later,

Anna

….

Date: 16 May 2008

From: "Anna" linuxgirl

To: "Chuck" CIBartowski

Subject: Re: Howdy

You are fucking kidding me? So Dumb and Dumber have graduated from boobcam to pantycam? They are just unbelievable and will never learn. Sorry you have to be alone with them. Hopefully, the new guy can be a good influence? Maybe? Yeah, I know...

And Morgan and Carli aka The Buy More Skank are now a couple? And he wanted you to tell me this why? And she came to the engagement party with him? Wow.

It's really not bothering me. Not at all. Or I'm in denial. I'm really not sure which one it is. Okay, I'll admit that I'm surprised, but whatever he does he's not my problem to worry about anymore. And that's a good thing. Sorry, I know he's your BFF and all.

It sounds like it was nice shindig. (And btw, why _did _they wait so long to have an engagement party?) You're very supportive. Way to be a good brother Charles. Don't frown. I like calling you that. Actually I like calling you that because you hate it, and you look cute when you frown. Do you prefer my personal favorite - Chuckles?

Gotta go. Hey, how's Casey doing? Did he smile today? Ask him if he misses me. LOL!

Later,

Anna

….

Date: 19 May 2008

From: "Anna" linuxgirl

To: "Karen" KCDesigns

Subject: Re: Hey you!

So glad you and Ryan are going strong. Don't worry about that argument. (And I agree with you that he should have called and given you a heads-up). I can tell he's crazy-nuts-loony-head over heels for you. Trust me.

Rogan has been the best host. She's been doing the tourist thing with me and the other girls. I'm really liking it here. All the traveling I did with my family and can't believe we didn't come here before.

SO that guy who swore he knew me – his name is Brian. He fancies me as they say here. Get this – he's a consultant for the team. And it turns out he wasn't using a lame pick-up line. Remember the photos I did for Ann? He saw them on her website. It's a small world after all. I had totally forgotten about that whole deal. I'm now glad that all my naughty bits were covered and didn't go full frontal!

Speaking of bodies - Brian has the most amazing body. With and without clothes. Yep - I slept with him. And OMFG – it was GOOD. I mean really good. I'm letting him think that he seduced me when I had decided to sleep with him like the second time I talked to him. It was strange that he kept popping up where ever I went. So maybe it was fate giving me exactly what I needed, some hot lovin'? Maybe, ya think?

So he did this whole romantic thing – we took a walk along the South Bank, just talking and getting to know each other. Then he stuffed me with French food and chocolate at this beautiful restaurant. It was very well played. Apparently he's an artist. He has the most amazing paintings all over his place. It's really like an art studio that just happens to have a kitchen. And a bedroom. I was impressed though I tried to hide it – you know me.

I told you that I was going to have fun now that I'm single and FREE with no stupid disappointment of a boyfriend to worry about. Brian "doesn't do relationships" and I'm not in a hurry to have one - so this is perfect. I can have my tasty mancake, and eat it and not have the DRAMA of a relationship!

In other news, guess who called me! Chuck! (Don't start). We have been emailing and he's been on my myspace page. But he threw me with the call. It was kind of nuts with the time difference and all. I swear he was worried. This was after I told him about Brian. I almost didn't tell him except he mentioned hanging out with his beloved Sarah and I guess I just wanted him to know that I had someone keeping me company too. Like it matters. Anyway, he told me to watch my back with this guy. Isn't that weird? I'm sure he's just being a (vomit) big brother (vomit) to me. But still... I'm trying not to read too much into his concern about me and a guy that I just told him I'm sleeping with.

Oh and Nutella is my new crack. It's in the US now and I can't believe I never tried it before. It is heaven in a jar. I think it has special healing powers. Gotta go...

Love ya,

Anna

….

Date: 11 June 2008

From: "Anna" linuxgirl

To: "Karen" KCDesigns

Subject: We kicked ass!

...At the CGS European Call of Duty 4 Kick-Off Tournament this weekend. Okay, we came in second but I think we definitely proved that girls can compete. It's a good start for this new and improved team.

This snot nose punk from one of the all guy teams was talking so much shit – and they ended up coming in fifth place!

One more tourney and then I'm back home.

Speaking of home...So I'm getting closer to Chuck. Not something I expected when I signed up to come here for four months. So his mom left when they were young and his dad hasn't been around. I was telling him my family woes with The Parents and he opened up to me a little about his family. After hearing that I didn't want to share my problems but he listened anyway. I feel so bad for him.

His parents really missed out on a great person. That's what I told him. I hope I said the right thing.

I really shouldn't be thinking the thoughts I've been entertaining about Chuck. It would make everything so complicated and I just don't want "complicated" right now.

Later,

Anna

….

Date: 04 July 2008

From: "Anna" linuxgirl

To: "Karen" KCDesigns

Subject: Hey

That is so cool about your clothing line. So happy for you. You've been working damn hard on that and finally it's coming together. Don't forget us little people when you blow up!

Psst...I'm starting to get suspicious about Brian. I think he was going through my stuff while I was in the bathroom. What he doesn't know is that I put things a certain way on purpose - A tip from my uncle who is either in the Taiwanese mafia or police force – depends who you ask.

I think he went through my phone and laptop. I really hope I don't have a nut on my hands. Maybe he's just getting jealous? Welcome to my love life!

He took me on the London Eye today. I had an amazing time. The view is breathtaking. As much as I enjoyed today, there's a certain tall, dark and handsome guy I kept imagining there with me.

It's very weird to be here when the US is celebrating its independence from Britain! Have a hotdog and a beer for me, okay?

Talk to you later...

Anna

….

Date: 02 August 2008

From: "Anna" linuxgirl

To: "Karen" KCDesigns

Subject: Home Crap Home!

I'm still high from our team winning the right to represent the UK at the World Cyber Games. I can't help it. It's a huge deal in the gaming world. And it means I may have to come back in November but we've recruited some kick-ass girls so it's not final.

My last night here. It's kind of sad but after staying here an extra month, I am really ready to come home. Thanks for picking me up at the airport. I can't wait to see everyone.

Can you believe that Brian, Mr. I Don't Do Relationships, wants to try to keep something going? Fuck-The-What?! I give up. Guys don't know what they want either. The sex is nice and he's been a good distraction but... I'm not into it anymore.

...More when I get there. See ya soon. (Big smile).

Anna


	5. Chapter 5

**Anna is back in The States, high from her team's victory in London. What will she do about her blossoming friendship with Chuck? **

**CHUCK VS. THE MONKEY PANTS**

**Chapter 5**

We were surrounded by vibrators and dildos of every size and color and, of course, walls and walls of porn videos. It probably had been a bad idea to bring Chuck to a sex shop. But seeing him freak out made it worth it. I had been back home for about two weeks and my body clock had finally adjusted to LA time. It had been the worse day. There must have been a "Please Be Rude to Our Employees Day" sign posted outside the store. I had done Chuck a favor and stayed late to help with some last minute repairs. After I pouted about not wanting to go home, we decided to hang out.

I was in the sex shop on a legitimate mission, to buy some naughty gifts for my cousin Magda's bachelorette party. It was months away but it didn't hurt to get the gift early and maybe I'd see something interesting for myself. I wasn't a complete stranger to the shop but standing in a sea of sex toys with Chuck on my heels was a little surreal.

"_Diva in Training_ is _not_ a gift shop...good to know," Chuck whispered, looking afraid to touch or look at anything.

"I guess I should have mentioned that. But I would have been cheated out of seeing the look on your face," I said. "Why are we whispering?"

"I have no idea," he said, putting his hands up like blinders at the side of his head. "Could you have some mercy and make this quick?"

"Look Magda is a total bitch and she pretends to be a sweet, little good girl. So I need something that will bring just the right amount of embarrassment."

Luckily the shop was empty and Marie, the storeowner, offered to help. Marie calls herself a "Sexpert" and was eager to share her knowledge with us. Well, she was mostly eager to share it with Chuck. Marie is as friendly as they come with her whirl of big curly red hair, floaty skirts, and the ever-present pair of glasses on a chain around her neck. After Chuck was finally able to get away from her, he planted himself by the door and waited for me.

"I'm sure your cousin will be happy. But you two should get something for yourselves. _Than_ you can make some recommendations yourself," she said, with a wink at Chuck.

I fought hard not to laugh at Chuck's horrified expression.

"I think we have everything we need. We do like our playtime," I managed to say with a straight face. "Don't we honey?" I turned to Chuck.

"Yes, indeed...Sweetie," he said in the most unconvincing way.

I saw the cutest hair clip on a shelf behind the register. It had a row of five amber beads on a silver clip, simple and pretty.

"I would love to buy that pin. It's beautiful," I told Marie.

"Thanks! I made that myself. I'm holding that one for a good friend. I'll have some more in about a week. Didn't expect to see something that tame in here, did ya? Here's some free samples." She handed us some colorful condom packages. "They have a cream inside that enhances the pleasure. They're _radioactive_ according to my Steve. Highly recommended."

"There were lightsabers in there! I'm sure those are not George Lucas approved. There would be some serious licensing issues," Chuck said once we got out of the store. "Is this how you cheer up your friends?"

"No. I just wanted to shock you a bit." I was doubled over from laughing so hard. "Hey you forgot the bad day we had, right? And you got free "samples." Now you'll be prepared..."

He gave me a suspicious look. "You are full of surprises, aren't you?"

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled.

"Unless we are pulling an all-nighter, we have to make a final decision," Chuck said about the three movies on the coffee table. We had brought movie rentals and a ton of food back to Chuck's place. "What's your pick?"

"I don't know. What's yours?"

"I say _21_ since we both haven't seen that one. And it's gender neutral."

"Don't worry about gender. I could watch them all. You bought that new edition of _Psycho_ and I haven't seen that either," I said. He looked at me as if I had been talking about burning puppies or some other horrible crime.

"You have never seen _Psycho_? I thought you were a true fan of the cinema? No self-respecting movie lover can live with themselves until they have experienced _Psycho_."

"Okay. Okay. _Psycho_ it is," I said and handed him two bags of Pirate's Booty, which is like a gourmet white cheddar version of Cheetos, but much, much better.

"I love these things!" Chuck said, perking up and opening one of the bags.

"Well, yeah I saw you eating them at work."

"Thanks. And what's not to love about them? They're called Pirate's Booty," he said, pointing at the bag label.

"Do you two want to be alone?" I said.

"You mind if I change clothes? I like to get the Buy More off of me as soon as I get home."

I had on my usual work uniform—Buy More issued white dress shirt, with my short black skirt and knee-highs and flats. "Sure. I wish I had brought a change of clothes," I said.

While I waited, there was a knock at the door. Chuck didn't hear me call him, so I opened the door to find that our surprise guest was none other than Casey.

"Anna?"

"Casey."

"Didn't expect you here," he said. His tone was friendly, which kind of threw me since he's usually all business. He was casual in jeans and a black t-shirt.

Casey was not my usual type. He was too straight-laced and little older than I usually dated, but he was obviously a good-looking man. If life was a cheap romance novel he would be described as a handsome, strapping hunk of man. I suspected that underneath all that professionalism was something wild that he would unleash only when he determined was the right time, like when he gloriously put Morgan in a headlock in my honor.

"Well, I didn't expect you not expecting me. Chuck's in his room," I said as I walked back into the room.

"Excuse me. I need to talk to him," he said and hurried off. I took that time to go to the bathroom.

"La Ciudad! I thought that was over and done?" I heard Chuck's voice nearly shouting as I passed his room. My Spanish skills told me that La Ciudad meant "The City." I hadn't planned on eavesdropping but the sudden alarm in Chuck's voice wasn't easy to shrug off.

Just then, Casey answered his ringing cellphone. He spoke too low for me to make out the conversation. Soon he hung up the phone and told Chuck something that made him sound very relieved. What I could make out was: "...She's being apprehended...You can relax. For now."

I was sitting on the couch when they returned. Chuck was now wearing jeans and an _Iron Man_ shirt.

"So what are you two watching?" Casey asked, looking like he wanted to stay.

"_Psycho_. Apparently, I'm a horrible student of the cinema and this is my homework. You want to join?" I asked him.

"Sure."

I offered him the other bag of Pirate's Booty.

"You don't have stuff to wrap up? Loose ends to tie into a nice, neat bow?" Chuck asked Casey warily.

"Nope. Everything's all taken care of. I got a little time to kill."

And so, I became the filling in a Casey/Chuck sandwich as he sat on the couch to my left and Chuck settled in on my right. Casey takes up a good amount of space so it was cozy. Something was definitely going one between those two. I had no idea what exactly, but my curiosity was definitely tickled.

….

"You wanna make an easy 50 bucks?" I asked Casey. It was after the movie and we were sitting at the dining room table.

"Depends," he said cautiously.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes."

"Okay, we have a little bet about you going on at work."

"What kind of bet?" Casey said, frowning.

"I leaned in closer. "You're like Buy More's man of mystery. No one can figure you out," I told Casey. "So the first person to get the scoop on you wins the office pool. It's up to $100 as of today. You give me the scoop. I win. I get bragging rights. I give you half of the money. We're both happy."

"A Casey pool." Chuck said. "Why don't I know about this?"

"Because you're The Man. The Establishment. Face it Chuck. You're management," I said. "So Casey, what do you say?"

"Okay. But I'm not giving it away. You ask, if I want to answer, I will."

"Witness Protection?" I asked.

"No."

"You're on the run from the mob?"

"No."

"You are not going to make this easy, are you?"

"Nope. But I can tell you..." Casey said before pausing. "...That you smell lovely."

"Oh! Thanks, it's Ralph Lauren Romance," I responded. I gave Chuck a look and he shrugs his shoulders as if to say, "I don't know what that's about either."

….

While I tried to get some useful information out of Casey, Chuck wandered off. I found him in his room after Casey had left. He was sitting on the bed rubbing his temples.

"Casey's gone. Got headache?" I said.

"Yes, and the pain killer hasn't kicked in," he said.

"Are you stressing about something?"

He smiled. "Oh, just a _tiny bit._"

"You want to talk about it?"

"I want to, but I really can't."

"Well, I can still help," I said, positioning myself behind him. "I can give you one of my famous back rubs. It'll help you relax." I slowly began rubbing his temples.

"You don't have to do this," Chuck said.

"Sshhhhhh...Shut up and relax," I told him.

My fingers moved from his temples to the top of his head. His thick hair felt like feathers curled around my fingers.

"That's different...and...nice..." He said. He was starting to calm down, slowly but surely.

"Sshhhhhh..." I whispered again, into his ear. My hands moved down his neck, over the mole on the right side, and onto his shoulders. "I need you to take off your shirt."

He looked at me over his shoulder. I expected him to protest again, but he uncharacteristically said nothing.

"Trust me." I was adamant. His face soon went from questioning to resolved. Facing forward again, he became topless, slowly lifting his shirt over his head and throwing it on the bed.

Watching the rise and fall of his back from his breathing, I knew I was in trouble. Every girl has her favorite male body part. I have a weakness for a man's back. A good toned, muscled back does all the right things to me. While Chuck's wasn't muscle-bound, it was long, toned, and had perfect, un-blemished skin. It was impressive for a guy that spends most of his time hunched over computers.

I felt like the room went up 20 degrees, sitting there with my legs straddling him, my skirt pulled up past my knees, and his hot skin burning the inside of my thighs.

My fingertips glided over him, barely touching as I introduced my fingers to his skin. A strong shiver went through him. My now tingling fingers continued, working down, pressing harder and harder.

"Wow." I heard him whisper under his breath. Before reason could catch up with me, I leaned in and kissed his neck, right on that mole.

After a long pause, Chuck slowly turned and looked at me. "You're very thorough—"

"What's going on here?"

We both turned to see Morgan coming through Chuck's window.

"Nothing...we...I..." Chuck babbled on.

"I was rubbing him down. I mean giving him a rub down. I was giving him a back rub." I stammered.

"Oh My God," Morgan exclaimed.

"It was nothing—" Chuck said.

"Nothing? How could you say that?" Morgan said, coming over and grabbing my hands. "This woman has the hands of a magician. These are magic hands. I still miss them actually—"

"You forfeited the use of these," I said, grabbing my "magic" hands away from him. "Chuck, I have to bid you good night."

"You know, I've never been bidded good night. Hold on. I'll walk you out," Chuck said, putting his shirt back on.

A soft rain was just starting. The sound of our footsteps echoed around the courtyard as he walked me to my car. We talked about anything but what just happened.

"So what story did Casey give you?"

"I couldn't get anything out of him. So we made up some crap about him being a retired movie stuntman."

"You know, I could see that."

"Yeah," I laughed. "So tomorrow I have a date with Vince. You remember from karaoke?"

"Really?" He said.

"Yep."

"So what do you know about him? What's his full name?"

"Why? Are you going to run a background check on him?" I said and we both laughed.

We said a quick goodbye when the drizzle turned into a downpour. Chuck waited until I got in the car before turning to go inside.

….

I envy people that can fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow. As I laid in my bed, my mind replayed my evening with Chuck over and over.

What was that La Ciudad stuff about? Who was the "she" that Casey talked about? And why did all of that get Chuck so excited?

Excited. I remembered how it felt to touch him and run my fingers through his hair. I kept seeing his face looking at me after I kissed him. It didn't register at the time, but I realized that he didn't look bothered or upset. In fact, his eyes were heavy with pure lust. He was turned on. What was he going to say, or _do_, before we were interrupted?

Aside from the stimulating image of Chuck with a hard-on thanks to myself, I knew the truth – he wouldn't have attempted anything because of The Asshole, his best friend, my ex. I felt like I had been cheated again.

There was something about Chuck.

Most guys responded to my toughness in an unwelcomed way, thinking it gives them license to leave their manners at home. Chuck was never like that. He was always, as corny as it sounds, a gentleman. And in this case corny was working for me. Yes, he's a sometimes socially awkward, certified, card-carrying member of the "Nerds R Us" club (a club I know well myself). But add that to his sweet personality, along with the fact that he has no idea how good looking he really is, and I found him _intriguing_. Actually, I thought he was downright sexy.

And, there it was. I could finally admit it. My old crush had never died. Now, after getting to know Chuck better, as hard as I tried to deny it, my feelings were stronger than ever.

….


	6. Chapter 6

**Anna deals with her feelings for Chuck in her own unique way. However, the closer she gets to him, the more glaring his odd behavior becomes.**

**CHUCK VS. THE MONKEY PANTS**

**Chapter 6**

How strange it is, to be having this conversation. This is a man I used to be in love with not too long ago. I normally didn't talk to Morgan outside of work-related situations. He was thoroughly surprised when I called him last night.

Or, so I thought.

"I knew it!" He practically shouts and points a finger at me. "You miss me don't you? It's so obvious."

Unbelievable. It takes a lot of my self-control to not shake him.

"Maybe. Whatever you think about me, I really cared about you."

Morgan's head drops and he looks like a lost kid. I suddenly feel a little sorry for him. "Anna, I actually regret what I did to be honest with you," he says.

"Well, you can make it up to me. If you really mean that."

"Of course, I mean it. I feel awful about the whole thing. So what do you want me to do?"

"Well, when I said that I liked Chuck, I meant that I _really_ like Chuck," I say and then I wait for my words to sink in.

"Oh. OOOOH!" Morgan says, a look of shock appearing over his face. He says nothing for a while, but I can see the wheels turning.

"The problem is that he would never make a move because of you. So you have to let him know that it's okay. You have to give him your blessing – so to speak."

"It was the magic hands, wasn't it? I thought that there was something going on."

"We've become good friends. That's all. He just sees me as a friend," I tell him. "But a little push might help him think differently."

"So tell me does it taste as good as you imagined it?"

"Does what taste as good?"

"Revenge. This sweet little revenge plot you got going here. It certainly looks good on you. Are your skirts getting shorter or is it me?"

"Morgan—"

"Do you really want hurt me? Do you really want to make me cry?"

"This is not about hurting you."

"And why would I do this for you?"

"Because the one person you care about more than yourself is Chuck. And maybe Ellie, but that's a whole other topic," I say, rolling my eyes.

"You really care about him?"

"I've spent months since I came back from England trying to ignore it and it won't go away. So yes, I really do care about him."

"Well, then. You know I never could say no to those adorable brown eyes of yours."

I feel hopeful. I am about to get what I want. Something nags at me though. It should not be this easy, right? And old fear was now confirmed: Morgan never felt the same way I did about him. If he had protested, it would have made everything more difficult but I would know I wasn't so easily forgotten, or replaced.

It's just clear evidence of why I broke up with him.

"I will consider granting your wish," he continues. "…If you will grant me a couple of my own."

"Okay," I said suspiciously. "Shoot."

"One, we will have to be friends again."

Ugh! Really? I'm already getting a headache thinking about it.

"What else?"

"Second, be good to my buddy. He's in a delicate condition since the Sarah break-up. I really don't have to tell you that because you're good at that stuff – taking care of people. You did a good job with me. I was basically stupid. And maybe one day you'll forgive me."

"Maybe, one day. So we're friends again and I'll be there for Chuck.

"Yep."

"Perfectly doable."

…As was a certain tall, dark-haired boy I know. I smile triumphantly as we shake hands in agreement.

….

Lined up, waiting, we pretend to listen to Big Mike while he's having another one of his classic rants.

"So now Bartowski is taking time off. The rest of you better not get any ideas. And I expect everyone to help this place run smoothly in Bartowski's absence. I don't want any of what happened to Anna's replacement to happen again. Is that clear?"

A few weeks after my talk with Morgan, Chuck, to the surprise of everyone, decided to go out of town. He even spent his birthday out of town. He got a gig teaching a computer course at some retreat-slash-ranch in Hornbrook, CA. It sounded wacky. But I checked out their website and it seemed legit.

Big Mike wasn't the only one who was unhappy about Chuck leaving on what he called "a personal journey through education." It was horrible timing for me being that I had just asked Morgan (to prove my personal growth I'm now calling him by his given name) to talk to him. But as sad as I was, I was nothing compared to Morgan who was downright catatonic. I couldn't count on him to talk to Chuck until he returned from his trip.

….

Date: 17 October 2008

From: "Anna" linuxgirl

To: "Chuck" CIBartowski

Subject: Re: Hello there

What have you done to me? You're trying to get back at me for leaving you alone with Lester and Jeff, right? Morgan has reattached himself to me like some leech on my ass, but significantly more suck-y. In fact, if you see an old bitter woman behind the Nerd Herd desk – well that's me A.M. – After Morgan. Oh and his little girlfriend is along for the ride. What the hell did I do to deserve this!  
Okay, that was my little rant. So the guy that the temp agency sent over to replace you is such an effin' weirdo. Lester ignores him and has appointed himself our leader. I'm sure you can guess how well that's going.

If you can't tell by now, you are missed. But, go on! Enjoy yourself. Don't worry about me. My suffering will be worth it Charles.

….

I STILL haven't gotten over the beard. If you hadn't sent me the picture I would not have believed it. And now you're working out with a trainer?! Has Chuck and the phrase "working out" ever been used in a sentence together? Just yesterday you were a naive little Buy More manager and today you're on a ranch finding yourself...or whatever. Good for you. Just don't change too much or I will kick your ass. I kind of liked Chuck the way he was. You know, uh, I mean we all do.

Okay, later Nerd King,

Anna

….

Vince is hot, talented and completely boring. It seems that he doesn't have much to say beyond the subject of music. His brown eyes and sexy lips make me physically alert but I am mentally daydreaming.

Karen elbows my arm, knocking it off the armrest.

"What's wrong?" she whispers.

She talked me into doing this double date with her and Ryan. It is her fault that I'm in this movie theater being softly killed with dullness.

"Oh. Nothing," I say, not hiding my annoyance.

"Just relax and enjoy yourself."

"I feel guilty. I don't want to be here."

"Guilty about what? You can't cheat on a guy that you were never with!"

She's right but damn her and her rightness. In response, my attitude-level goes from 7 to 20.

The movie theater is starting to fill up and as Vince continues to talk about his band and how they compare to the other bands in the area, my mind wanders.

_Chuck and I in the home theater room...No, the stockroom. I take off that gray tie, untuck his shirt from his waistband, unbutton his pants..._

...Vince is asking me something...

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" I ask him.

"What band would you say is most culturally relevant?" He asks me.

"Milli Vanilli?" I say. "Just kidding. Everyone says The Beatles, but I think for our generation there's not just one band that can take that much credit," I add before he hyperventilates.

Karen needs a diet coke refill and I need to use the bathroom before the previews start. Later, I sit on a bench in the hallway, waiting for her. Suddenly, I'm nearly pushed to the floor as some blond chick lands head first into my lap. My iPhone goes flying and when I look up I realize that I know this "blonde chick."

"Sarah?" I ask, completely surprised.

She gets up and manages to look graceful doing it. Only she could achieve this.

"Anna. Sorry! I was trying to catch an old friend and I must have tripped," she says, while looking past me.

"Sweetie, that's not how a lap dance works," I say jokingly.

"Sure. Can you excuse me?" And she is off to catch her friend, I assume.

I don't have time to digest how weird that was before Chuck comes running by. In a reaction delay,c he runs past me, then turns and runs back.

"What are you doing here?" We say at the same time.

"Did you see where Sarah went?" He asks urgently, before I can say anything else.

I point down the long, dark hallway.

"Thanks. I'm so sorry. Can you excuse me?" Then he runs off after Sarah and her friend, I assume.

"Jeez. Do I offend?" I think to myself as I bend to pick up my battered phone.

Then all hell breaks loose. The fire alarms start going off and smoke begins to fill the hallway. It's chaos. Employees are yelling at us to evacuate the building. People are spilling out into the hallway from the theaters in a panic. Karen hasn't come back and I can't get to Vince and Ryan. I stand up to follow everyone when I hear my name being called. I turn to see Chuck and Sarah coming towards me.

"You need to follow us," Chuck tells me.

They lead me into one of the empty movie theaters, down the aisle and through a door under the screen. Behind the door is a maze of turns and unfinished construction.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"There's a way out," Chuck says.

"I came with my friends. I don't know where they are."

"They will be fine," Sarah says reassuringly. "We just need to get out, okay?"

Finally, Chuck finds a security door and we walk out of the building and into the night air. I finally let out the breath I had been holding the whole time.

I call Karen and luckily she is with Ryan and Vince and they are all okay. Sarah comes over just as I end the call.

"You okay?" She asks me.

"Yes. Thanks," I say. I know that she's my competition, or she would be if there was an actual competition taking place, but I can't deny that she is gorgeous. Why wouldn't Chuck still be in love with her?

She starts apologizing for earlier.

"That friend, she stole some...things from me. Very important things," Sarah explains.

"Did you catch her?"

"No, unfortunately."

"Well, I have contacts if you need some help with that."

"No. I'm pretty set," she says, then becomes serious. "You know, you can't fool me."

"Fool you about what?"

"I know. I see how you look at him, your body language, everything."

"By "him" you mean..."

"Chuck. I mean Chuck."

"Oh," I say lamely. This is getting interesting.

"He's just keeping me company tonight. We're not together."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Why are you telling me this?" I ask in total confusion.

"I'm not sure. But I am sure that I want him to be happy."

Before I can get any more details Chuck comes over.

"I'm so sorry for earlier. It's just that—"

"Don't worry about it. Sarah explained it to me," I say.

"I need to go make a call," Sarah says and walks away.

This is my first time seeing Chuck since he got back from his trip. I try not to be too obvious as I visually stalk him. There's something different about him. He seems more confident, more self-assured. I noticed it earlier as we were getting out of the building.

"I thought you weren't coming back until Sunday?"

"Change of plans. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to call you."

"It was a shock to see you and Sarah, here. No more beard?"

"Yeah, that was a temporary thing...The beard, I mean. Sarah and I...we're still friends. Just friends."

"Okay."

"You look good."

"Thanks. I was kind of on a date...with Vince."

"I really missed you," he says, talking over my date confession.

"Really?" I saw genuinely surprised.

The surprises just keep on coming for me tonight. I stand with a calm front, but I'm freaking out inside.

"Me too."


End file.
